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Why do I suck?

L

LeleLele

Jul 6, 2010
10
0
Turin, Italy
#1
I'd like to submit my story to your consideration.

I've been studying quite hard for seven or eight years. I've done it all: Bach etudes, transcriptions, learning jazz lines from ear, bass methods, piano methods, trombone methods, reading, theory, harmony. You name it.

I've been playing professionally for maybe 5 years. I have a lot of experience both on the stage and in the studio.

Then again, I think I suck. I can't seem to properly learn anything. How do I decide what to study, and how the hell do I know I learned the material? I'm completely overwhelmed by the amount of things I need to know, and this is not good. Can you help me in sorting this thing out? I'm thinking of selling my gear and just find any other job.
 
#2
EVERYBODY SUCKS....at some level.
I don't have techniques to help - just practice.
Compared to whom? See?
Just pick something you think you should be able to learn, no matter how simple - the easier, the better - and work it. Then pick something else a bit harder. Rinse, Later, Repeat.
We are not all <insert famous bassist here>. Just work at being the best you can be, step-by-step.
 
#4
If you suffered a terrible injury tomorrow and had to give up, what would you miss?

What are you trying to achieve with your playing?

If it's 'being good', you can always look at it in a glass-half-empty way and think you suck, because there will always be skills you don't have.
 
#7
It's all in the thought processes. Find a piece you like, just one and...

1. Begin with the end in mind. KNOW what the final product is.
2. With that concept, ZOOM IN to 1 phrase, 1 measure, or 1 note.
3. Play it. Now, WITHOUT judgement ask yourself, did I play the result? (attack, release, phrasing, volume, etc.)
4. If not, stop and think. What is the route to take to get to that end result? Then find an etude, exercise, etc to help sharpen that skill.
5. Rinse and repeat.

You may want to find a teacher that has experience in this specific realm. Most people talk about goals being the be-all-end-all. I disagree. Goals are great but if you want to achieve them, your best bet is two right down a SPECIFIC road map of tiny 'doable' actions to get there.

I had similar issues years ago and then studied with Greg Sarchet of the Chicago Lyric Opera. He handed me a list of two dozen books or so to read and most them were philosophical.

Invalid Link Removed
 
#8
If you always keep studying the basics, then you're almost guaranteed to be a good player. By basics I mean some basic scales, basic chord tones, efficient technique and a basic understanding of theory. Also knowing your bass, meaning you know ALL the notes by reflex (not just being able to figure them out quickly)

Many people say they know the major scale very well, but actually they only know how to play that finger pattern up and down very well. There's a lot more to it and it's very difficult to ever say you really KNOW something. I'll be practising these basics for the rest of my life, even though I'm already very comfortable with them. All the advanced theory, playing techniques, ear training, transcribing etc. are extra work that will build upon the basics. But having the basics down very well should make you feel very confident about your playing in pretty much any situation.

Question: How comfortable are you with your instrument? And how comfortable are you in any band situation?
 
#9
Maybe try picking up "The Musician's Way", has some great advice on how to sort out your practice to learn every avenue of music. If you read it, look at Victor Wooten's 10 Elements, and create a practice regiment that focuses on those, every day of the week may be different.

But as others have said, I doubt you suck, more like a lack of confidence, being too much of a perfectionist and putting way too much pressure on yourself. They key to successful playing is knowing that you can play well, in my experience. I used to be very hard on myself, I realized one day that the very places I always made mistakes, where the very places I was expecting mistakes to be made. I never played more quickly and smoothly, than when I just stopped worrying, kept calm and never doubted my abilities.

I came up with a quote I would tell myself, "I am only as bad as I think I am". Whenever I felt down, or was approaching a hard part, I would say this to myself, understand that my negatively was making to play worse, take a deep breath, and then realize that by thinking positively I will play better, and it has worked nearly every time... Sounds super corny I know...
 
#13
LeleLele said:
I'd like to submit my story to your consideration.

I've been studying quite hard for seven or eight years. I've done it all: Bach etudes, transcriptions, learning jazz lines from ear, bass methods, piano methods, trombone methods, reading, theory, harmony. You name it.

I've been playing professionally for maybe 5 years. I have a lot of experience both on the stage and in the studio.

Then again, I think I suck. I can't seem to properly learn anything. How do I decide what to study, and how the hell do I know I learned the material? I'm completely overwhelmed by the amount of things I need to know, and this is not good. Can you help me in sorting this thing out? I'm thinking of selling my gear and just find any other job.
Click to expand...

The one thing I don't see listed in your routine is ear training. It has helped me tremendously and I work on it about 30 minutes each day.

Also, like others have said you are probably scrutinizing yourself too much. I doubt you suck. Even if you do you can fix that! Here is what I do:

1) Ear training lesson. This takes 30 minutes or less.

2) Scales - major and minor pentatonics. I also work on the Major diatonic scale and its modes. I'm learning the scales starting on all scale degrees. This has increased my fretboard prowess exponentially.

3) Songwriting. What's the point of doing music if you don't create anything yourself? I've always wanted to develop my own voice and this helps me do it!

4) Learning Songs

I do #1 & #2 daily and alternate between #3 & #4.

Some books I recommend are:

Scales by Joe Charupakorn
Bass Logic
Songwriting Sourcebook by Rikky Rooksby

I consider the above reference books that any musician should own with the exception of the Bass Logic book.

Remember its an impossibility for you to know everything!
 
#14
Learning music is infinite. No matter how long you do it, you never get any closer to the end than when you started. If you've studied all these things and are playing professionally, then you obviously don't "suck". Sounds more like you're just getting burned out on it. If you can't find anything new or challenging to get from it, maybe it's time to take a break. Music is supposed to be enjoyable, no point in doing it if you don't enjoy it.
 
#15
MostlyBass said:
It's all in the thought processes. Find a piece you like, just one and...

1. Begin with the end in mind. KNOW what the final product is.
2. With that concept, ZOOM IN to 1 phrase, 1 measure, or 1 note.
3. Play it. Now, WITHOUT judgement ask yourself, did I play the result? (attack, release, phrasing, volume, etc.)
4. If not, stop and think. What is the route to take to get to that end result? Then find an etude, exercise, etc to help sharpen that skill.
5. Rinse and repeat.

You may want to find a teacher that has experience in this specific realm. Most people talk about goals being the be-all-end-all. I disagree. Goals are great but if you want to achieve them, your best bet is two right down a SPECIFIC road map of tiny 'doable' actions to get there.

I had similar issues years ago and then studied with Greg Sarchet of the Chicago Lyric Opera. He handed me a list of two dozen books or so to read and most them were philosophical.

Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...

I read Effortless Mastery. What a great book. I'm definitely gonna check out the rest on this list. Thanks! Cool site!
 
#17
I sure that there are many musicians from the greats to weekend warriors who feel at times feel they suck. It's mostly in their heads and I'm sure I have enjoyed the music they feel they sucked at making.
 
#19
"The One Show" is a half hour TV magazine type programme that airs on BBC1 at 7pm over here in the UK. Like a lot of people I use it as wallpaper while I'm on the sofa with my evening meal on my knee, and tune into it if anything catches my interest.

Recently, they had a little cameo feature about things that really make a song, and to my surprise they did about 5-10 minutes about Pino Palladino's bass line to Paul Young's "Wherever I lay my hat". Pino was featured, playing the line and explaining that he was really nervous that the bass was so up front when the record was released.

The interviewer said "Nervous, why?"

"Oh, you know musicians" Pino replied "we all think we're rubbish don't we"
 

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